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Game Mechanisms
Sitemap GAME (MMORPG) MECHANISMS (GAME MECHANICS) The way(s) that the MMORPG game operates for the Player and are run on the computers (interfaces, way the game is presented/accessed by the Player, how the client and server(s) operate) --- --- --- --- --- MMORPGs What is a Massively Multipayer Online Role Playing Game Hardware Issues the computers the game is played on Player Created Assets system of continuous additions to the game Auto Generation an important mechanism to offer a changing game environment NPC Team interaction of Player with NPC 'helpers' Server the MMORPG central computers the game runs on Mini_Games Apps and such connected with the primary game Fabrication Player built items/terrain feature Game_of_this_type_-_Difficulties --- --- --- Mapping (MMORPG game mechanism in this crazy maze of a city) : ' The map view is a 3D representation (rotation, see thru levels, path marking, feature filtering, etc...) -- for 'ease of use' visualization. Note - each MMORPG 'World' is different in its exact detail. Some basic seed (buildings/streets) information is in common, but City auto-generation mutations and Player's actions/repairs will create things differently as the game progresses. Mapping system - you build(explore) your personal map (in full detail) as you traverse the terrain (exploration is a fun aspect of these games) : * Rough positional location info (like areas of buildings - low/rough detail) can be assembled/surveyed from a distance, or given to the Player as a basic guide for a mission (map handed to them by NPC). * City Territory map data is easily available to Citizens (Some starter areas of city are 'common' and don't need exploration). 'Phonebook Directories' can direct Player via addresses. * City Hall has public maps that allow Player to 'research' outside locations/districts they want to visit. * Players submit 'survey' data to City for rewards/pay (skills can enhance the capability and quality of info submitted). * Your map data will be shared amongst your NPC 'Team' (so that they can be directed to 'tasks' in those areas). * Sections of map data can be given to another Player (and data to NPC who assigned a mapping mission) - turned into media to be posted as mail, etc.... * Map Location Position (MLP ?) 'tags' can be created from the Player's Map and used in orders and other information exchange (as input/various data transfers). Player can put markers (like the pushpins/labeled flags ''Ultima Online''One of the Early MMORPGs had) with notes onto their maps (so that it becomes a 'place of interest'/reminder database...). A Map Tool may have a ' "How the hell do I get to there from where I am" ''' direction assist system that pathfinds routes for the Player. Many people can barely read 2D maps let alone 3D -- and many games have a MUCH too clumsy map system which is very bothersome to use or 'make head or tails of'). Again we can still use that pointy arrow thing guiding you along a path to a destination you have designated (AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY THERE). This Mapping system should be largely run on the Player's Client machine (offloaded from Servers...) : * Server based backup data for information the Player has acquired -- allowing rebuilding the Client data if it gets lost - via the usual computer crashes/files deleted/etc... * Faster running as you don't have to wait for updates from the Server (if you've played with Google/Yahoo Map you know how annoying the delays are) * Saves on alot of bandwidth and processing on the Servers. * Same data set and most of the Map interactions should be sync'd/runnable on a handheld/tablet computer, so that 'Offline' activities can be done (part of the game is figuring out the best way to get places, and planning what you want to do later 'Online'). Prepositioning assets for 'adventuring' usually wastes alot of time in many MMORPGs. A Map "Guide" (Game Interface) : Rather than a 'HUD' style indicator, an NPC 'Guide' (a 'Team' member), who for routine movement can guide the Player (and rest of NPC Team) along (optimal/routine) paths to the desired goal location - the programming reading true 3D Maps (picking good paths isn't easy for many Players). This meanwhile would allow the Player's attention to be on doing other things (Don't Waste The Players Time ...). Any one of the Players NPC "Team' can do this function (a 'Guide' Skill maybe for harder destinations where paths can be offered as a choice with a 'risk' assessment). Verbal cues for destinations to activate the 'Guide' as an interface 'shortcut' (at least for 'Lead On') "Take Me To Hardware Shop" (if Hardware shop is a known location) Player Voice Training (Customizing) for their Vocal Inputs can be done because of the limited Vocabulary (and would use simple sentences/phrases - and a confirmation before going in that direction). There would be various configuration and settings to facilitate the Vocal Input system. Player groups using Audio Chat would/could interfere with voice command, UNLESS the Player must press a 'mike' button to issue verbal commands which would differentiate it from an open mike (most of the time) OR the reverse (press 'Mike' to talk to other Players) --- --- --- '''Additional Player Maneuverbility for more Complex/Inetractive Terrain : * Double Jump input for maneuvering (usually activated by quickly double pressing the button - perhaps triple also) * Climbing things (including using climbing tools/props) - auto-prompting to indicate climeability * Run/Leap, Jump and Grab (like in FarCry 3) Watch your encumbrance ... * This all Needs to be A bit less split second (as compared to a non-Internet game). But utilizing the Client Machine CAN allow this (with Server still checking to prevent the inevitable Player attempts at cheating). * Moving Vehicles (which add so much to other games) - a whole dynamic generally lacking in the BioShock games. * Crumbling/Falling debris (Terrain is deformable, and Player's actions upon it can be far more realistic) Kinetics for object interactions. * Get rid of Insta-Stick movement impairment (you clip terrain features and INSTANTLY and VERY ANNOYINGLY it stops you). Skidding/bouncing/deflecting type reactions. * Crawling (all actions for this stance) - holes you have to do more than 'Crouch' in. * Swimming (you'd think ?) * Swinging (why not? ropes, cables ...) * Death From Above (landing) Note - many of these require a much better coordination and effort played by the Players Client Machine with the Servers --- --- --- Clothing Mannequin (Interface) ''' : Something many MMORPG games should have had - A way to change your appearance (multiple clothing items/accessories) with a single interface action. You assemble the appearance items on the 'dummy' (or dummies for multiple outfits) Quick change for that 'party' you are going to (out of your usual adventuring stuff), Even better if for EQUIPMENT (different Missions/activities require different sets of equipment) Eliminates alot of tedious sorting and searching and dragging and clicking (other MMORPGs pad their game with that tedium because of lack of better more interesting content). You can still fiddle with the stuff piecemeal, but better if you don't have to do that '''EVERY FRICKEN TIME, ad nauseum. --- --- --- MMORPG Travel Shortcuts : Movement/Travel Shortcuts in the game can be one of the things which can assist the Player not waste time. Once 'discovered' (a Player advancement goal), they are handy for alleviating some tedious routine movement to various routine places. It is preferable that they DON'T "discover it" (to a specific destination) *AFTER* it no longer has a utility value to the Player (I've seen it in other MMORPGs ... achieved finally when the Player has little further need for it). If possible such shortcuts shouldn't circumvent realistic travel (like just Teleporting/Gating to locations instantly, which many MMORGPs allow). Possibly there would be 'automatic' "Auto-Lead" traveling, where the player can concentrate on doing other mundane activities (mail, task status checking/assignment, etc..) while traversing a 'routine' path. Access to a 'shortcut' is not just knowledge of it, but may require access to a restricted conveyance or 'authority' from a city role. The players Team NPCs can have abilities to utilize some shortcuts, and once they are manually invoked can become available for Player movements (suggested automatically as part of the Intelligent Pathfinding (options are offered to the player, NOT AUTOMATIC as the decision may depend on COSTS of using more optimal passages (like private transit, or delays for daily schedules, or party size limitations). --- --- --- Game Should Have Actually Helpful Interfaces Game Interface ''' : When you have things you do repeatedly (routine Tasks actions), its nice to have a 'smart' interface that puts those actions at the top of a list of "Recently Done Tasks/Actions" (particularly in a game with huge numbers of command options and extensive menus). This is besides "Team" NPC Tasks which are done remote from you as normal 'under orders'/policy behavior. Of course, there also should be a way to DISABLE that feature. Nothing is worse than a game interface that 'Does Stuff For You, whether you want it or NOT" -- the type of frustrating forced 'Helpfulness' which makes you want to pound the retarded/useless designer's heads against a wall til their brains ooze out their ears with the consistency of peanut butter (Which BTW is a new 'Move' in the MMORPG - probably in the 'brawling' subcategory). --- --- --- '''A 'Joe Blow' Character to Join a (your) Mission Expedition : * To facilitate group activities - bulk up the firepower or 'special' abilities (Separate Additional skill as a Joe Blow versus your Regular Avatar and your Henchmen). The MMORPG would have little 'Insta-Move' (Teleporting/Gating) in the game, with longer 'getting there' duration of 'Group-Play' missions, which makes getting another Player there 'fast' for a quickie Mission harder/unlikely. * To be a direct story narrator (handy for Tutorials in a game with more Player Action options). * 'Extras' don't compete with the Player for their mission loot/goodies. YOU earn some other payoff from the NPC (including for your experience/skill ramp). * Develop 'associations' with specialist NPCs (with a development ramp and their own story arcs) * AI abilities in the MMORPG would have them do ALOT more than typical limited 'go along' NPCs (not just gonna be invulnerable and chucking buffs and ammo at you ...). --- --- --- ' "Execution" Action Game Moves for Rapture BioShock' : * Whack someone over the head with a Vacuum Cleaner (a Herbert Vacu-Kleen) * Punch the Tumor (weak point) - aim option some times misses til you up your skill * Moe Howard's double fingered eye poke (and the *advanced* 'double handed 2-finger' attack, to handle the classic 'splitter' block move) -- not so easy to carry through with those spastic Splicers, though. * Flying Scissor Kick a Big Daddy (or sneak up behind them and start turning all their valves) * Throw a jar of lye in the enemy's eyes (chemical blinding) - Splicers had all kinds of NON-ADAM stuff available to them (Throw a chunk of Concrete is another effective move, and there is LOTS of 'Ammo' for that action lying about). * A MOVE you would REALLY like to have Done : You as Little Sister, in BS2, thrusting your 'Angel' Siphon into the back of Sofia Lamb's head as she sits there in her office (You weren't allowed that, were you ?) You'd still have to escape, so it wouldn't quite be ""GAME OVER - YOU WIN" yet. SO many good IMAGINATIVE things could be added to a MMORPG redo of BS1, BS2, etc... Seriously, in Infinite BS, those 'canned' execution actions WAS REALLY the only justification for having that stupid Skyhook buzz saw thing (????) (Oh yeah, Booker was an expert with this bizarre weapon which he never saw or used before (in his entire life) ... Sorry No, the Pinkertons/Calvary WERE NOT armed with such things.) The BS1 'Wrench' was about 80 IQ points more intelligent a weapon... weren't it? --- --- --- Player Difficulty Issues : The MMORPG wont have 'ramped opponent difficulties' (just more 'harder' ones as you get further away from the 'civilizing' influence of New Rapture). So the art of 'Running Away' will offer more challenges to Players than the usual routine 5-second-kill 'body count' based game playstyle you usually see in MMORPGs. Your opponents when they are too strong might just laugh at you. "I killed thousands and they still came" (many MMORPGs have that weak/unimaginative bodycount playstyle). We don't want that for OUR BioShock Rapture MMORPG --- --- --- Vagueness Can Be Your Friend : Asset storyline repairs (from the existing games with their problematic Canon) - just add a dash of vagueness. If you don't have precise details, they can't be easily challenged by nitpickers (it also takes (and took) alot less writers work and thinking). Having information be 'something someone remembers' or 'seems to them ... an opinion' can leverage dodgy NPC memories or their outright delusions to cover old complications. "It was all a dream" sequences can cover just about anything you want without contradicting Canon. You can have 8 different versions of what 8 someones 'saw' of the same thing (if needed). MMORPG Player Created Assets will have enough of a problem sticking to and matching the known Canon details and then the interpolated details. Consider also that players DON'T like to have to read a 'wall of text' story for every Gofer Mission. An Interactive Option for NPC 'life stories' can still be there (and there should be a notebook mechanism which the Players can reference later for relevant Characters, Places, Story). --- --- --- Intuitive use of Objects : If it looks like a X, then it should react as an X, and be useful/usable as an X. (and be damaged like an X and be usable by an NPC as an X). This MMORPG is to stretch Players imaginative use of their environment/props, not to be an endless game of "guess if this does anything you would expect it to, or is only unusable static window dressing". Better to have more imagination instead of double-thinking in everything you do. The Templated Attributes and object Behaviors/Physics/interactions (reuse of same code/data and handy Tools to select and apply them to produce all these goodies for the game) helps streamline creation . We wan to lower the effort required by Players and increase application of creativity/imagination to far more people -- far less tedious dealing with mundane aspects when creating game objects). THE REAL feature expansion (for this MMORPG) is how to have MANY more ways objects interact with each other, allowing Players to employ them more creatively to get things done in their game (and have more to explore/play-with, to find out what things are good for - to keep their interest). I've mentioned elsewhere, that the detail level of objects (grossness/rendering quality) was fairly adequate (circa 2007 and 2010) and does not have to achieve "new heights of perfection", as that eats up rendering resources (memory AND graphics processing) and this MMORPG instead wants to have ALOT MORE objects Players are able to manipulate. Some good median appearance 'quality' will be sufficient. --- --- --- More Interesting Loot (MMORPG Fun and Amazement): More MMORPG fun just seeing the weird/odd things that Splicers/etc can carry or things lost in the ruins (lots and lots of Player Created items to fill out ranks of 'odd' and 'weird'... and many a story to go with them). The objects will have a real shape (so you don't have to say at close range "WTF is that?") and be able to be operated/manipulated (to function like most everything else in the MMORPG game) adding to the Player's ability to examine/play with the things (and maybe creatively find uses for them). Most loot objects wont just be an icon/name in an inventory list, like in so many games. Fewer bodies to 'loot' : so we need to make the ones you get to rifle more fulfilling (and NOT just 'bodies' -- far more often its stuff that's been dropped when a Splicer ran or hidden or just stuff lying about in the ruins/wreckage or where a Splicer 'camped out'). Many items will need to be identified (a Player/Team member/NPC expert skill) to decide what they are worth. Some interesting 'gang'/Faction items will be wanted by the New Rapture Intelligence group (the hush-hush group that is trying to keep track of whats happening outside New Rapture City Limits...). Others would be tools/components you don't know how to use yet. I prefer Drag-n-Drop 2D interfaces (interface mode) to facilitate sorting/handling (versus having to always (ad nauseum) "hit 'E' to Loot body", and often be too exact with cursor crosshairs in obscuring terrain -- it gets old after the hundredth/thousandth time. So a good interface will be needed. "Team" NPCs pick out those items that they want for their own skill specialties (ammo of course, but tools or even just 'hobby' goodies)... This actually could require fairly complex/sophisticated loot choosing AI, as the idea for THIS game will be more loot than you can carry and YOU having to be selective or take lots of effort to take more than what you can easily carry. An Interesting opportunity for 'negotiating' with your NPC Team members who have their own preferences and motives. 'Team management' is another expanded game feature. If Team NPCs can do stuff like that, then so can Splicers (they have to be good at hiding stuff - its part of their survival) - this would be sharing alot of the AI programming to give the Player a little more complications in this world. A good game idea is to reward Players who take time to look/explore (when they feel like it). Loot Caches - the ability to hide a bunch of stuff (a Player skill) for later pickup on a return trip (or after mission when you on returning no longer have to travel 'light'). Remember those Splicers wander everywhere and will think themselves lucky to come upon your stash of goodies.... THEY survive by scrounging so don't count on finding anything later you have to leave behind. Lots of loot accumulates - you need a place to store it all (versus carrying it around along with the 'kitchen sink' in you avatars inventory). "Hey, that looks interesting, I'm gonna take that" the Player says and soon they have tons of such items. Banks have safe deposit boxes for small valuable objects. When you get a 'Residence' (fairly early on), that becomes the place (base) to pile up stuff 'you will use Someday'. Selling it of course is an option... Players fix up a 'Team' base to extend their usable facilities/infrastructure. All kinds of interesting things can be found secreted in the walls or laying about in abandoned spots (and behind long unopened doors)- and not everything is recovered by retreating Splicers when they see you coming. Puzzle-pieces/parts-found-over-time to be put together/assembled into useful/interesting objects ( "Oh look It assembled into a 'Flux-Capacitor' !!" .... ) You find something weird and after the 'what-the-hell-is-this-thing', research may tell you its something more valuable/useful than you might have expected (Ooooh, an original production AI Controller for a Flybot !! ) --- --- --- Difficulties for Any Game Company attempting to Create this (Illuminated on this WIKI) kind of 'Advanced' MMORPG ''': * Creating the Modular systems which defines every bit of the Game (done systematically from the very start) : **Has to be done thoroughly with completeness and understanding of all that the Game will encompass. Because making '''major changes later will disrupt/waste alot of existing work/effort/resources and require alot of rework. " Measure Twice, Cut Once " ... Games have to make money and the project is daunting enough WITHOUT cost overruns killing it. * Tool Creation - alot of effort is needed to make the Player Creation Tools 'consumer grade' : ** Developers can be trained as part of their job, but most Players will want/need a shallow learning curve, and will lose interest if it takes too long just to create something simple. ** Player users should not have to 'Fight the Tools' when trying to get something done. Frustration levels need to be kept very low. ** WYSISYG of course (What You See Is What You Get - as much as possible) ** The many Tools required will have to overlap/interact, and have to be well integrated to facilitate 'ease of use' for creating Assets that have many different component parts/aspects. Simple Assets often go thru half a dozen different Tools (include the submission process). * Plugin (for Tools) able to be created/developed by Players. This should be facilitated (by simplifying additional USEFUL game tool additions -- again - The Players skills/knowhow/genius to create/improve Tools can greatly exceed the company's ability and needs to be tapped into). * The huge Asset Creation Community - managing it, guiding it, resolving 'people' problems : ** Managing NEW Canon and Lore (decisions for things never define by the previous Games or the Novel) Cohesion and Consistency IS needed. ** Planning for a coherent expansion of the Game World. This usually requires mapping out major World Map features (planned expansion) well ahead of time to guide the more detailed information being created later. ** Goading Players into creating/improving what is needed/missing/insufficient in the Game, and avoiding redundancy/over-coverage. Telling Player Creators that we have enough of 'X' and now need more of 'Y'. This includes the quality of Assets, not just quantity of types. ** Rewards to people for creating something shared by others (has to be more ego-oriented than mercenary). Proper credit given ... Most difficult Assets WILL take dedicated effort. ** Managing the shear amount of Game Content - the MMORPG would eventually have many times the content of the largest MMORPG worlds, both in numbers of Objects ('types' not endless clones filling Player's banks), but also in different/spectrum of new kinds/types (complex types not createable in other Games) and how they all interplay/interact/integrate. * Server Management - A whole additional dimension : Running massive Servers 24/7 and keeping them up and accessible to Players. Companies who never did 'it' before largely have NOT-A-CLUE what problems they would/WILL face, and then have to continually solve (and this MMORPG Project would greatly exceed what common MMORPGs do these days, so even THEY will be lacking in experience). * The manual Gamemaster tasks - how to adjust the game when things get unbalanced. Sufficient tools are required to make this work efficiently. Labor saving is ESSENTIAL to the Game's economic viability. * The cooperative Creation mechanism (like the MMORPG itself) would include a CONSTANT transfer of Data to the Player's Client machines to update new Assets, including recently modified Client-cached parts of the Game World map. Internet speeds are getting faster, and that extra capacity will probably be needed for a system like this one (MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE RUNNING GAME where Loading of data ahead-of-need is preferred, but Load that nearest crap quick will still be a stress on the games streaming data system). * Disk storage on the Client is a secondary problem. SDDs (Solid-State Disk Drives) are becoming more common/cheaper, and their GREATER speed/capacities keep going up. Conventional disks also are increasing capacity steadily (may need to employ a buffering system to move 'Ready' data to the SDD from a much bigger old-tech disk drive on the Client machine is potentially still far faster than trying to push the data through the Internet real-time.) --- --- --- "Consoles May Be Problematic" : Computer Memory may be the biggest limitation with the planned increase in World Complexity -- even just what is visible in the Players immediate vicinity will be significantly more than current games, and handling crunch/rush situations where excessive Player/Objects are in view is desirable. Console compatibility - ? Second-Class status for Consoles gameplay ?? (perhaps that industry will make more flexible hardware upgrading possible - but that CANNOT be counted upon). * Consoles freeze their abilities/capacities for many years at a time. Dumbing-down the MMORPG Game's Client to fit no-longer-new console hardware is a problem. Console user-base is considerable and it would be a shame to not include that many potential Players. * More than a few of the game advancements make use of Client-side processing and disk resources (Older Consoles (at that time) may NOT have the capacity of CPU that gaming PCs will have available). * Upgrade issue - Insufficient resources/capabilities on older consoles ( many people would not be wanting to upgrade, but it might require whatever the latest generation might have -- inevitably by the time a Game like this might come out, even with competent resources behind the MMORPG's development it would be years). * Disk resident Asset Dictionary is important for World detail resolution - the old-school 'baked'terrain/occupants (pre-canned 'Level' system) having been replaced with more Dynamic On-The-Fly mechanism in the MMORPG Client. Even if Consoles have large disks, can they transfer/load the needed Data fast enough (disk controller speed issue ...) ??? * Methods of 'simplifying' the data for less capable Client machines (including Consoles)?? How much can you lose before the game gets too sucky ?? How much detail could you 'cut-on-the-fly' before most of the game's advances are gone ? * Console Interface Limitations - just too limited/clumsy for all the things/actions/commands the PC-based Player will be able to do (new mechanisms like Voice Recognition can only do so much, or aren't available) ? --- --- --- The Hidden Lives of Splicers - EXPOSED !!! : MMORPG - All Inhabitants need a reason to be somewhere, doing something, for plausibility purposes The MMORPG would have them have more personalized lives (Auto-Generation assisted), doing normal things throughout the day. This Would be as true for the NPCs seen around New Rapture (alot of the programming/scripting of Behavior would be the same/shared). Motivations * Survival (of course) * Hobbies (boredom is the Great Killer) * Pets * Social Interactions ... * Obsessions * A RIGHTEOUS ANGER AT PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND ME !!!! - Archetype like the Sinclair test Program NPCs (Who getting early access to such things might ALL be made "bosses" in the MMORPG - or at least personalities you encounter). --- --- --- Game Engine Behavior Control Programming Shortcuts : * Tactical map data of predigested Terrain Analysis used by an AI to tactically make use of terrain features (add cues for various choreography) * Plug-together terrain blocks and details matched to the relevant NPCs involved. * Lots of variations of tactics/moves/action (including different interchangeable props) * 'Behavior' Happens everywhere from the City Hall offices to Forum Square shops to the passages and ways of the ruins * 3D movement/interactions of the MMORPG doubles the complexity of that part of the game --- --- --- Something In The Sea (SitS) - That Interactive Document Presentation System : Similar Mechanism could be used for various in-game (MMORPG) bulletin/posting boards which change with time (Point at and Click to zoom). City postings board ... Interface is workable for the Tablet/Smartphone game access. The Player can have their own markers (including colored strings and color markers/flags/annotations to highlight/mark/link things of interest). Pictures/notes/document forms/token objects/mementos. Something like this would be in the 'P.I. Investigator Role-Playing missions ( Means, Motive, Opportunity ) case board. --- --- --- Consistent Makeup and Scaling of 'Terrain' and the Objects/Humans in Them : Improvements : * All those out-the-window scenes will be real terrain and outsides of buildings which the player might traverse (within). * Shorter buildings (still can have 'towers' like many Art Deco buildings did). A few Tall ones amongst much shorter ones is the most logical. * Seeing activities out there - maintenance, transport, industrial work, tourism, vehicles, etc ... * Light dwindles very fast in water, so more 'murk' and only very bright lighting being seen for very far. --- --- --- ' "Associations" Between Players ' : A bit looser than a 'Adventuring Party' or a Kinship/Clan/Whatever. Players can have Multiple 'memberships' (unless the Association is defined with a limitation). Associations can be defined by players with various conditionals and limitations. The usual Role/Officer definitions for people who organize whatever the Association is for. Lots of features seen in existing MMORPG games (and more could be defined/refined). --- --- --- Simulating Inept/Untrained/Harder Combat Skills ' : With the redirection of the game's goal being to NOT kill Splicers (you are an Ex-Splicer yourself) you can now have more interesting interactions/situations when your 'opponents' (and YOU) aren't Wyatt-Earp-fast or accurate, and their weapons and tactics might be alot less than optimal (ie- Scene of fireball flaming out in the hand of a Splicer, and setting THEM on fire and then them "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" trying to put it out ... A fave would be the "bringing the roof down on their own head" -- you don't get negative Empathy Points if a Splicer does themselves in). Misfires of poorly maintained guns and bad ammo would be frequent. The Player likewise mishandling weapons (prevalent wavering hand type mechanic - most often seen with sniper rifle mechanics or effects of injuries). Jamming or misfiring of weapons ... Unwanted collateral damage, etc.. Being an MMORPG, 'twitch' skills would be hampered (network delay issues). How much should be REAL Player Skill, versus Artificial (repeat-use/training readjustment of) skill efficiency ?? (Definitely NO AUTO Targeting even on Console platform clients) Kludgey weapons (and ammo and 'accessories') may not fire overly straight or consistently (jamming) or even (crude/poor quality ones) explode injuring the user. Might be a good thing that Splicers may largely have old/damaged weapons, otherwise if playing on a near(er) level skill/ability the Players would be killed/injured too quick and too often. Target Bounding Boxes can always be tightened up to make hits harder (even with 'perfectly' accurate sighting). Swapping of weapons and equipment takes time -- putting the in-hand weapon somewhere (slings/holsters for some might be add-on assist/speedup the getting out the replacement). Swapping back-from/to tools likewise. Certainly you could have reloading in more realistic time and cocking actions where appropriate Increased encumbrance would effect mobility and manipulations of weapons/tools ... --- --- --- '''Things That Happen Too Fast ' : Limitations of computer games which lack/obscure many real world environmental clues, and have limited/narrow vision and reactions speeds ('twitch' interactions impaired by internet delays). Perhaps all combat and actions should be slowed somewhat to allow the Player to figure out what is going on (and time to work the controls for things more complicated than pulling a fire trigger). If The Players were still Splicers (instead of now being Ex-Splicers) they could have used some of the Tonics/Plasmid which sped up perception (Slowed time) to facilitate this (Splicer Role Playing CAN still utilize this). This MMORPG is not to be a |slaughter-fest FPS game. IMO, those stupidly accelerated Online MP games which cater to the ADD suffering, uppers-fed-monkey type Players (who historically whine when they think things go 'too slow'), really cover up those games lack/avoidance of realistic tactics and their simplified reality (death becomes irrelevant when you always come back to life in 5 seconds), and simply support their Player Skinner Box https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber - skinner box that Suchong mentions in-game bloated bodycounts and unrealistic gimmicks. --- --- --- Game Mechanics '''The Player Taking Simultaneous Missions Would Be Limited : * Many MMORPGs let you stack up dozens of Quests/Missions and come back to them any time (and if you advance and the missions are level dependent, they can become obsolete (too easy to do with little/no XP). * The Player soon forgets the Mission details and whatever story. Most Players just read the handily provided Mission Summary to remember what actions they have to do for completion (usually very limited describable in one sentence). * In the MMORPG there is far more specialized data included in an activated/paused Mission, so you don't want those piling up on the server. Likewise, the context for which a Rapture Reborn Mission may have been generated (customized) may not continue to exist for too long. Solutions : * Have Major and Minor Quest/Missions - short and long - easy and hard, (with sufficient description as to effort/difficulty). * Have Major Missions be time limited (and not redoable if you Fail). Player can concentrate on the achievement. * Enough new Missions available all the time. Since in this MMORPG, Quests/Missions aren't static and aren't designed around Player Level appropriate zones. * Role-based Missions should be numerous (themed towards the current role the Player has or is working towards). Ex- Bulletin boards of Tasks for the City. * Various other 'goals' exist which Players can achieve as they do the formal 'Missions' (ie- gaining advancements for various behavior/activity/societal based goals and crafting and such). These can open up further Mission availability. * Player Joining onto another players Mission for those which take greater resources (or just to be more casual play-style). * Immediate (pickup) Missions (frequently available and are short term) don't count towards the limit. --- --- --- Make It So, Number One (and again ... and again.... and again ... BAD REPETITION ) ' : The Player should be able to do repeated Actions without so much tedious interface twiddling. (Of course its better if you DON'T have you be required to do much repetition of anything in the game.) I've seen too many games where many frequently-done-actions required traversing a Menu (interface) control several levels deep (and sometimes also having to uses a slider control on that Menu tier on top of that), and then having to do the same thing ''again and again. (Even 10 times of THAT is bothersome when its a routinely done task. Games having that reflects a poor interface design). * A Repeat-Just-Used "Again" command button would be one way. * A customizable interface with addable buttons for commonly done transactions/actions/queries * An option asking (when the actions criteria is met) to do some multiples of the same thing (a max allowed and set count control for flexibility ...). * Putting recently done actions '''AT THE TOP of the command list shouldn't be Rocket Science for competent game programmers. * Voice command bypassing deep menu options might be good. --- --- --- Flashbacks of Events a Component of the MMORPG : Recreations of significant events to try to tell Rapture's story. Its not exactly The Lord Of The Rings' as far as well know canon, but there is plenty of background which could be elaborated upon to add to the game experience. ' Usually this type of thing is a choreographed scene that the Player witnesses as a bystander, sometimes with minor interactions to be a part of the situation. --- --- --- Players Have "A Player" : ' A Feature Within the game Application. Allows the Player to pipe their own music (on their private computers to be heard by them in their Residence -- but only by them and only on their Client as per Copyright restrictions). Player Objects playing in-game authorized music and other stuff is something separate. "Music In Their Heads" was a frequent Splicer complaint. --- --- --- ' "Be careful Where you Fire Your Gun Citizen!!!" ''': The MMORPG's Player's Attacks can do damage to innocent bystanders and NPC allies (or neutrals) and OTHER PLAYERS (and their property). It Takes more skill/restraint/control to avoid harming those who are not your intended opponents. Penalties for having this happen ???? Keep You Gun Holstered in town or the Constables will Issue a Citation (fines, which increases each incident until it results in Incarceration) Player has a 'record' that can impact Mission offerings. Overkill ? Wound but not kill those Splicers (remember YOU were once one of them !!) You may also damage equipment which might cause life-threatening consequences (especially to YOU), in town its probably someones property which you will have to pay damages for (need a mechanism which if 'requires observation' to prevent Players from 'trying to get away with it' - probably WILL be some security cameras within New Rapture and NPCs "witnesses" might not always be noticed when incident happens . --- --- --- '''For A MMORPG Game with More Complex Interactions : Playing MMORPGs has an Internet network turnaround delay, so cannot be 'twitch' type interactions (chiefly of combat ). Enemies should generally 'telegraph' their actions to give Player a chance to action a countermove (Brandishing their weapon, Yelling stuff like "Ahm Gonna Toast Yo Azz, Skumbaag!!", Charging up a Plasmid, etc ...) Particularly in a game where the NPCs have a wide range of actions and tactics (affects on the Player are more complicated than simply having a one dimensional Bullet-Sponge damage system.) The Player has to be given the chance to observe what is happening next, and then time to work the interaction interface (which often is a bit more than a 'Fire' trigger). Likewise maneuvering to cover or to access terrain features. - No One-Shot-Kill (or disablement) type actions (have to give Player a chance to figure out what happened and decide on countermeasures). Likewise loophole against NPCs is too easy. Escalations of damage inhibiting actions, forcing more alternatives to be used. --- --- --- Issues with Clipping Edges (basic game mechanics for terrain movement) : Often they were very sloppy in BS1/BS2, with clear line of sight shot, but with the shot resulting in hitting an edge that wasn't even close to being in the way (visually). Better game mechanics, with more precise Bounding Boxes and such are needed to prevent 'WTF' moments for Players when there is a discrepancy in what they see versus what the game mishandles. Particularly annoying are situation where your fire clips the wall incorrectly, but the same target enemy can hit you back just fine (and does). There is really no excuse for such annoyances existing in games. The MMORPG with some more complicated terrains would need its engine not to have such lame problems. --- --- --- Respawns - they don't exist the same way in this MMORPG : I noticed in Minervas Den some places that had an endless rather quick respawn cycle, which caused the regenerated Splicers to interfere (in Hard mode) with some of the staged situations. (I've seen this before in MMORPGs, where you really cannot do any retreat tactics because the enemies have already respawned in the places behind you, which you just moments before went thru -- ducks standing back up in the "Shooting Gallery" those games degenerated into). Even stupider, is when they repawn right next to you while you are watching. Its such simple programming to block such blatant respawning, but even some big name MMORPGs have a deficit in caring about stupidity like this. This BioShock MMORPG has just about everything built up out of objects and would need to carefully build everything rather BEFORE the Player can see it 'pop' into existence. This MMORPG has a much more involved and 'lower body count' style of encounters based on the Players (and the Programmers) cleverness, rather than on Zerg-Rushes by endless opponents (any Moron can simply add more generic opponents to a game scene to make things 'Harder'). MMORPG - Any/All locations in Rapture will have a population count of local inhabitants based on the ambient environment and what faction controls/disputes the area (and be based on what might have gone on there before - changeable ), and once the location is cleared (often not via 'deaths') there is no 'respawn'. The retreating Splicers might come back and possibly bring reinforcements, but that is still limited by the simulation system, which also might have them come back after you are gone (or have someone else move in to use the space/resources the original Splicers were there after). Of course, the MMORPG map is to be large enough such that Players wouldn't all be overly close, and their 'Quest' areas can be isolated to prevent constant interference (You KNOW there are tards who will try to do cause trouble intentionally). Rapture is a huge place, and the Player population cannot possible occupy all of it, so the Splicers will be continually trying to take back territory where the players leave a vacuum. --- --- --- MMORPG - WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) : In too many levels on the Solo games (and DLC) you have exteriors seen thru the windows which clash with the actual interiors you travel thru. Walls too thin, simple Skyboxes rendered (repeatedly out each compass facing), views ignoring walls of adjacent buildings existing in the level, non-existent exterior windows shown on structures you go into, caricatures showing far too many floor levels on 'impressive' false fronts of buildings, and bottomless scenes on one side with an immediate seafloor seen at the level of other nearby windows. Typical gaffs when cohesive/consistency isn't a concern/priority. There will be no problems like this in the MMORPG, as everything you see will be real objects in the game (with a bit more 'murk'/obscuring detail dropoff as would happen when looking thru hundreds of feet of water). Some distant views would still be 'baked' (static) backgrounds (used as an optimization for rendering) but those would be created on-the-fly (in proper scale) and reflect the actual cityscape and distant objects (when anything significant changes they would be regenerated). --- --- --- That "Lack of Player Decisions" in Infinite BS Brings Up the Idea : Of Mission scenarios with different sub-plot Paths used to allow the Player some decisions to vary the adventure (select their Goals, or how to achieve the Goals). This would HAVE TO BE more handmade than any Auto-generation combinatorics (though that system is still used to create variances of the Mission Scenes utilizing some locked-in Scene Directives used to shape those Scenes). It is more a "Mission Plot Tree" (not just a linear sequence), where results and decisions lead to sending the Player down different Event Paths and through different Scenes (Terrain/Scenery/Props/NPCs/Sub-Plot). Storylines (mini-plots of 'story') with the typical empathy/glory/feel-good happenings. Important is NOT to have so few such Missions in the game, as for them to be repeated/reused too many times by the Player. And even then the designer must, while having sufficient randomness and many variations (to make them different for each player), retain the cohesion/depth of the Mission's plot (it is hard - its why you don't find that mechanism in most AAA games). Follow-on Arcs of Missions are needed because of limited Player time/attention-span (they need to be broken up into time manageable chunks) -- but not be the typical MMORPG "Restart the Arc a few Months Later cuz I forgot About It" typical operations (The plague has started, you have to save everyone, but you go off on a long adventure to obtain your Flying Unicorn, because its so neat...) . Some subsequent Missions can possibly be delayed (being played sometime in the future), while other Missions need an immediate follow up. - For Solo games created using this MMORPG's System (games independent of Rapture Reborn) the same mechanism (mentioned above) can be used in a larger way to create whole games with a Plot Tree -- with sufficient varying Plot Paths. This IS currently hard to do, and takes alot more Work than your usual AAA game (reason why THEY mostly use linear Plots or have laughable 'choices' like BS1/BS2, or none like Infinite BS). It might be more possible then by employing the MMORPG systems Tools and Processes to improve game productivity (UTILIZING the fact that using that system, IF you've already made something (many things) work in one game, then reusing it (them) in another is MUCH MUCH easier and cheaper.) The idea would be to greatly improve RE-playability, even if the game is relatively short in total hours (wasn't the WHOLE game of Infinite BS downto ~8 hours, and I saw many reviewers complaining that there was little reason to want to play it a second time -- or some said even to bother finishing the tedious gameplay). SO you want to have lots more options on a varying Plot Path with different sequences of scenes/levels to play through (including optional sets NOT in every game play-through). Each of those Scenes then can (using the magic of Templates and Auto Generation) be varied in its Terrain-obstacles, Scenery-look, Usable/available Props/Tools/Weapons, NPCs (opponent mix/flavors/themes, spawn locations, THEIR props/tools/weapons/tactics), Portals between the Levels, and Special Effect Events. The game should/would play differently each time. Different weapons and resources each play-through would require using different tactics (and not just sticking to 'favorites' and optimal options). This is definitely NOT being a "Sandbox", as there is a definite Story/Plot which the Player is Challenged to directly Complete (there can even be variations of THOSE if you make the Plot Tree big enough ...) (( '' REMEMBER those optional "Elizabeth using her Powers" special scenes (shown in the early Promotional Trailers) you WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE in the Infinite BS game, which they subsequently REDUCED/GUTTED into complete stupidity with those always-the-same/repeatedly-reused set of canned battle props you had 'choice' on selecting ??????? REMEMBER HOW DISAPPOINTED YOU WERE TO FIND HOW THEY FARTED AWAY THE GAME THEY MADE BELIEVE/PRETENDED IT WAS GOING TO BE ????? '' )) One of the aspects of Classic Great Games is their ability to SURPRISE the Player (and also to NOT let them win every time). Replaying can be helped when the game length is shorter (so that the Player doesn't have too much invested in ONE play-through -- 'U FAILZ' just means "Try Again"). Secondarily, the Player can LEARN tricks and improve their playing for subsequent replays. It is actually a shame when there is little desire for replay, as most Players are the first time intent on learning to play the game, and to handle all the new adversaries (who WILL kill you if you DON'T pay attention), and will largely ignore the setting ("Oh that's nice.. pretty. But NOW wheres that next thing gonna leap out at me ???? ", " WTF do I do now ?? ", " What The Bleeding Hell is THAT !!?? ' " ...) --- --- --- '''Every MMORPG Player Early-On Should Have Their Own "Butt-Monkey" NPC ' : (Even if it is just the Reception Clerk in the City 'Cure' Dormitory) Repetitive/Tedious (make-work) stuff is the bane of MMORPGs -- to be chronically employed '''in place of the Player interacting with more Unique content. SO in THIS MMORPG, lots of routine stuff you would get done (mostly) automatically - defined/setup/controlled/guided/tracked (to still give some control/choice/priorities). Tasks are identified as available and are "checked off" on a list (queued up, ordered by priority). Other tasks can be enabled to be done automatically when the circumstances or an opportunity arises to do them. This systems gives some direction for many NPCs who would populate the New City (NPCs who would be seen moving about and carrying out work -- when the Player isn't even online). OF COURSE this presumes there would be huge piles of interesting 'unique' activity to keep the Players occupied -- to take the place of tedious/bothersome/uninspiring routine stuff (in many/most MMORPG simple tedious stuff is employed as filler to absorb the Player's game time). MMORPG - With the Player's game experience/advancement, additional 'Team' NPCs would be acquired to extend the Players automatic operations (and also serve to make up their Adventuring Party to expand the possibilities/capabilities there). One consideration : Exactly how many people (realistically) can there be IN New Rapture with all these NPCs added ontop of the Player count ? Well, that's a problem anyway if there were to be tens of thousands (or more) Players - separate 'worlds' are required to fit all of them (Sorry, no Multiverse allowed - this game ain't Fantasy-oriented). Hmm, should have 'tourist' char slots to allow players to look-around in the 'worlds' other than their own. The activity of 'employed' NPCs then might make the hours when few players are on make New Rapture look populated. Too many Players all on AT the same locations (overloading Servers), and now also we have lots of NPCs interacting with them (and doing their own thing) - that is the eternal MMORPG problem (Peak Server Processing Capacity -- look how many time major problems have happened on New Content Release Days on most MMORPGs). --- --- --- "Gathering" Being Fundamental to the MMORPG Games Story ' : Assuming it ('Gathering') 'ADAM Biological' -- IF that aspect is thrown out of the MMORPG (including the Big Daddies involvement), we don't have alot left for this game - you lose that whole iconic thing - as bad as Infinite BS). Thus certain things have to work a certain way : * The component substances must be in blood (fluid) to be obtainable the (ick) way shown. They ain't gobbling down chunks of flesh/brains there. * To fit the Canon 'Story', the Level inside an ADAM-user's body builds up *quantity*, but is no longer being effective, or the components no longer are active in most Splicers (the ADAM components might be 'reactivated - they are NOT Stem Cells, but something that induces Stem-Cell formation). * Gathering must be a shortcut to recovering/re-generating (sufficient) additional ADAM (or why do the whole complex thing in the first place?) * Gathering from corpses makes more ADAM sufficiently to justify the cost/difficulty of whole operation (Or else why ?? Lets just assume its more than "Cuz the Plot Requires it") * Quantities : **Slug Production 1 **Slug + Host Production 20-30X (nice and safe, stay at home) **Slug + Host + Gathering ???? (significantly more ) * Slow original production being insufficient, necessitating reclaiming ADAM to meet (a perceived) emergency (or did Fontaine kill off as many Little Sisters as he could to hamstring Ryan's fighting him, or to just cause trouble ????) * Gathering is possible *ONLY* when there were enough corpses. (and those being ADAM users) After a while there are enough ? (SORRY Ken and sloppy BaSx writers, before Kashmir there couldn't be). * A Slow deterioration (a backlog laying about as 'corpses), some preservative effect possibly. * Simply raising more Sea Slugs (farming) apparently hadn't been an answer (or it would have been simplest/cheapest solution). * 'Gathering' may have been partially developed earlier as means of controlling Insane Incarcerated Splicers (Using blood transfusion/replacement to remove ADAM components and Neutralize their dangerous abilities). That would give this Regeneration Methodology a longer development time (instead of it being some lame 'wave of the hand' plot device). Then it was found that imbibing this Splicer 'blood' increased Little Sister production significantly (HEY!!! maybe THAT'S the root of those "Fontaine Clinics" - where there were the bags of 'donated' blood everywhere.) * What biological mechanism ? - originally a Sea Slug venom ? (but with an interesting action upon the Human physiology as Tenenbaum discovered). Sorry some weird 'radiation' or whatever mysterious glow don't cut it in Sci-Fi (and NO not Lutece "Tears" and all that later bullshit - "radiation" simply kills, and magic gloweyness only works for ''Unicorn Pharts .) --- --- --- MMORPG Mechanisms '''Player Flashbacks in the MMORPG : A residual result of the Players Character's previous Splicer Addiction (Before the "Cure", Splicers had these psychotic episodes much worse). During these Flashbacks, things seen by the Player look weird (happens periodically and suddenly to Players - sometimes at the most awkward of times). Can happen at any time (is this a residual effect like LSD ??) and have their own 'Mini-Game like situation ... (You need an inducement for Players to 'play along', and not just ignore them). Players may have a 'relapse', and need treatment (triggered by ???) if they don't "handle the flashback" ?? SO ANOTHER Game Asset Type - the Flashback Attack with diverse and strange, even shocking sensory effects - and plenty of new ones created by imaginative Players. --- --- --- Improving Player Intractability : There can be a Problem with not having enough Players being 'ON' at the same real world time. Are there enough Players around to interact with ? (AND Not busy doing other game activities even when then playing.) How many 'direct' interactions (or indirect) have to be facilitated to fill-in sufficiently for the kind of 'social' aspects this MMORPG is trying to achieve ? --- --- --- MMORPG - Shifting The CONCEPT Of Players 'Winning' ' : Defeating (or facing off) a single foe (or group as large as your own) without casualties is a significant victory. There need not be 'body counts' (as is usually chronic in so many unimaginative games) which would, if realistic, soon choke the Ocean/the-Halls with corpses. The effort involved to create this adjusted game-style would be far greater than required for the usual Pop-A-Mole generic opponents many games have (like the bizarre/illogical 'minefields of enemies' seen populating so many MMORPGs). Opponents can/should run away ... Success can just be thwarting the designs of the particular opponent (who is up-to-no-good vis New Rapture's future). Indirect benefits of 'success' : * (*** Add a 'Whining Splicer Captive' Asset to the game ... ***) * You get to hear a story or some 'Intel' which might lead-in to other interesting things (indirect loot/advancements) * A record of your activity is permanent - a 'dossier' of the opponent * 'Progress' Measurement Indicators (for you and others to see) * How your 'team talks (and comments from NPCs) mentioning your exploits ... * Mention in the New Rapture Tribune (or equivalent) --- --- --- 'Custom Bosses - A Whole Lot of Them : Most individual (or group) opponents should be treated more like a 'Boss' in the game, where you have multiple interactions/incidents with them (which progress along an story Arc). Thus alot more 'unique' detail and backstory could be had in embedded locations (associated with that Boss - Lair/Hideout/Territory/etc...) Templates would be used to assist in creating all these 'Custom Bosses' which have persisting details for the Players involvement. (Alot of Bosses have similar Behaviors ...) * A way (with some/most of them) to NOT have the Players be interfered-with in this Boss personality's interactive progressions (nothing like you doing all the work, and THEN some 'Johnny Come Lately'/random Player finishes them off before the whole story arc (or tree) is finished. * Other such NPCs can be mass shared experiences (but they would be of those 'Dracula Always Returns' recycling within the game). Example interaction like Gil Alexander, who you never face directly - so you can't blast him to fish-guts (or have him be too obviously invulnerable) * Really we should NOT even have 'pop-a-mole' Boss Minions to fight (meaning FAR BETTER programming of them and flavored variations). It DOES get ridiculous when you yourself, after playing for a long while, wipe out more enemies than the original 20000 population of Rapture -- ALL BY YOURSELF (( '' I've seen MMORPG where the total body counts would have resulted in entire large continents being 20 feet deep in corpses/bones if they didn't conveniently disappear'')). Branching Tree paths for many of the 'Bosses' story arc (guided by your 'choices' of actions with them). Player might have a personal Arch-Nemesis (??? how to program that to be sufficiently unique ?) --- --- --- --- --- . .